BY JIMMIE, STAR Racing Writer
CLOCK WORK has been presented with a gift in tomorrow afternoon's 1500-metre Fontainbleu Trophy for Open Allowance runners.
A genuine Stakes runner, CLOCK WORK, has been given a bye on account of winning his last Open Allowance race six months ago, exploiting a loophole in the conditions of such races.
CLOCK WORK is far better than the group and even reports with the luxury of being two kilos lighter than THE MINISTER, who has been penalised for winning at the level on August 20 but is no match for DaCosta's American-bred runner.
A real giveaway, CLOCK WORK has been working like a bomb in the mornings and should be used as a five-star banker on every Pick-9 bet hunting a slice of the $2.1m carryover to tomorrow's 10-race card.
Robert Darby's QUICK MEDIC also appears to be another Pick-9 banker. The six-year-old gelding was a down-in-class winner at 1300 metres last Wednesday and has merely returned to the scene of the crime at a different distance.
Pitted against $290,000-$270,000 claimers in the nightpan, QUICK MEDIC should have no problems after runnng on strongly last week to overhaul back-to-form GALINA POINT. It will be QUICK MEDIC's third race in 11 days, showing just how fit Darby's runner is just now.
JACKPOTS AT $2.6M
With the Pick-9 at $2.1m and the Super-6 to start at its guaranteed $500,000, all of $2.6m worth of jackpots should make the card an enticing one.
The Super-6 starts at the fifth race in which Dwight Chen's MUSICAL MAESTRO should return from a two-month lay-up with a bang at 1100 metres. The three-year-old gelding last raced on July 20 when he was beaten by American-bred GIRL IN GOLD at 1400 metres, outbattled by the foreigner inside the final furlong after making a sweeping move down the backstretch.
Working sweetly at exercise with the likes of DISTINCTLY IRISH and beating stablemate INSATIABLE, MUSICAL MAESTRO will prefer the reduced distance and should steal home from DIGI N' JIGGY.
RENEIKA has looked improved on the gallops and should reward her new trainer, Lawrence Freemantle with a win in the 1100-metre sixth race. The four-year-old filly kept pace with TOO HOT TO TROT last week Monday morning, galloping 1:01.3 from the gate behind a half-mile split of 47.2, a workout good enough to put away her rivals.
Close all bets with QUEEN LITTLE SHOES in the seventh at 2000 metres and Philip Feanny's debutant THAT'STHELAW in the eighth at 1000 metres straight.
QUEEN LITTLE SHOES won strong enough to be given the nod to repeat and THAT'STHELAW has looked forward enough to win the first time of asking among three-year-old Maidens.
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